


Paint the Sky

by Frenchibi



Series: Iwaizumi Week 2016 [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Domestic, Fluff, Humor, Iwaizumi Week 2016, M/M, Prompt: Silly moments, Proposals, Written for Day 3, post-college
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-05
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-07-21 19:24:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7400785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frenchibi/pseuds/Frenchibi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It starts with a stray thought, when Hajime is less than sober.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paint the Sky

**Author's Note:**

> Iwaizumi Week, Day 3: ~~Pokemon~~ | ~~Hobbies~~ | Silly moments

It starts with a stray thought, when Hajime is less than sober.

They're out with the old team. They don't get together nearly as often as they used to, but they still try and see each other once every two months or so - it's just getting a little harder to coordinate a bunch of people that do completely unrelated things, and more often than not one or more of them is missing. Hajime is kind of glad they haven't given up yet, though - he enjoys their little get-togethers. Mostly because Takahiro and Issei never seem to change, and because Tooru lights up when he sees all his old teammates again.

They're at a bar near where Shigeru lives this time, and Tooru is late because it's pretty far from the gym his current team trains at, and their coach set a rather late practice that day.

Hajime tries not to dwell on it, but he _knows_ he keeps looking at the door, and he _knows_ he's fidgeting and can't keep the fingers holding his glass still. When he starts tapping his foot irritably, Takahiro shoots him a look that says 'if you don't hold still right now I'm calling you out,' but thankfully the door opens almost at that exact moment and Tooru pushes inside, looking a little out of breath and practically drenched.

He spots their table in the corner and makes his way over to them, grinning sheepishly at the former first-year's cheers and Issei's exasperated expression.

"Hi, guys! Sorry, I got held up-"

Shigeru grins up at him.

"Thank goodness, you're finally here! Hajime was becoming unbearable-"

Takahiro snickers, and Hajime lands a well-aimed kick on Shigeru's shin under the table, effectively shutting him up.

"Where's your umbrella, idiot?" he says in favor of a greeting, as he scoots over on the bench to make room for Tooru.

The setter flops down beside him rather theatrically (but he still manages to look graceful, damn him) and wails: "I forgot it at home, Iwa-chan!"

Hajime frowns at him. "I literally put it out for you so you wouldn't forget. Would it kill you to pay attention?"

Tooru pouts. "Maybe. You can't expect me to disrupt my morning routine-"

"Anyway," Takahiro interrupts, cutting across Tooru mercilessly. "Now that we're all here - today is special, and I hope you all know why!"

Hajime turns away from Tooru (to his obvious disdain) and raises his eyebrows. "Oh?"

Issei nods, leaning forward a little. "Today is our tenth anniversary, you guys!"

There's a murmur of ascent around the table, and Hajime blinks in surprise. "Really? ...wow, I must be getting old."

Yuutaro chuckles, and Akira throws him a look, but it mostly goes unnoticed amidst the clatter and laughter of the others.

"A toast!" Takahiro all but yells, nearly spilling half of his beer over the table.

"To ten more years, at least!" Shigeru proclaims, raising his glass, and Kentarou rolls his eyes at him.

"Ten? You've got to be kidding, Shigeru-chan," Tooru interjects.

"Yeah, yeah," Takahiro says, "make that fifty!"

There's a chorus of laughter before everyone raises their glasses and they drink. Hajime leans back against the bench, watching his friends. It sounds kind of ridiculous, but he does hope they'll keep meeting like this for... well, a long time, anyway.

Tooru turns to grin at him, and Hajime's attention shifts fully over to him. He smiles back, and Tooru slides up closer so he can lean against his side. Hajime adjusts their position a little and drapes his arm across Tooru's shoulders, ignoring Takahiro's continued snickering beside him.

Yeah, he wouldn't mind if things stayed this way.

And the thought hits him, unbidden and immediate: He doesn't want anything to change. And not just in their group of friends here, but in all aspects of his life.

He wants to spend the rest of his life waking up with Tooru beside him, close enough to see him drooling all over his pillow and to run his hands through his spectacular bedhead. He wants to be close enough to make sure Tooru rests and eats properly between practices and games, and close enough to notice when something is off; to pull Tooru out of his occasional loops of self-deprecation, if necessary.

His gaze shifts back to Tooru, who is laughing at something Issei said, and he's overcome with an all-encompassing wave of affection.

Tooru's hand is clasped loosely over Hajime's knee under the table, but he tightens his grip as he laughs, and his shoulder is digging into Hajime's side, so he can feel every breath he takes. Hajime loves how his face lights up, and the little snort that escapes him even though he tries to contain it. He loves every stupid quirk and habit that Tooru has, the little gestures he makes and the things he makes Hajime feel. He's completely at this man's mercy, and it hits him again, in that moment, just how much of his life has been completely taken over by Tooru's presence. He can't calm down until he sees him, knows he's safe, knows he's okay. Wherever he goes, Tooru is always on his mind.

And honestly, he can't say that this bothers him. On the contrary. He wants that to never, ever change, please. He's not sure there'd be much of him left if Tooru disappeared from his life.

This new-found clarity is a little overwhelming, but if Tooru notices that Hajime doesn't speak much that evening and is lost in his thoughts, he doesn't mention it. He's all smiles and jokes like the rest of them, and Hajime is content to just let their conversations wash over him as he tries to sort out the mess in his brain.

By the time they leave, Hajime has probably had one beer too many (but he's definitely the most sober of the bunch) - it doesn't matter, though, because Tooru's weight leaning heavily against his side grounds him, keeps him level-headed and as mentally clear as it gets.

They take a taxi home, and Tooru curls up beside him in the seat, sighing contentedly. Hajime cards his hands through Tooru's hair as he watches the brightly illuminated skyscrapers of Tokyo flash by the cab window, and he's probably never been happier.

Oh, he definitely never wants to let this go.

And he makes his decision.

~~~

As it turns out, making the decision to propose to someone and _actually proposing_ are two entirely different matters, and one of them is significantly more difficult that the other.

For starters, Hajime has no idea when or how to bring it up. Casually over dinner? That would be his preference, but he knows Tooru is a sucker for huge romantic gestures and... well, he's hoping he'll only propose once in his life, so it should probably be special.

So what, then? A ferris wheel? The beach at sunset? After Tooru's team wins the upcoming tournament?

There are just too many options, and Hajime is completely overwhelmed.

What's more, he cannot for the life of him pick out a ring.

He knows absolutely nothing about jewelry, he doesn't know what Tooru would like or what other people normally get, and- if he's completely honest, the whole thing is incredibly stressful, especially since he can't ask Tooru about any of these things. Which is infuriating, seeing as Tooru probably has color schemes and creative ideas at the tip of his fingers, just waiting for someone to need his advice and opinion. That nerd.

Hajime groans and buries his face in his hands. He's sitting at their kitchen table, a notepad and pen in front of him. He's crossed out every idea he's had so far, and this is getting him nowhere.

He glances at the clock - Tooru should be coming home soon. With another sigh, he gets to his feet and crumples the top two papers of the pad in his hand, before tearing them for good measure and stuffing them in the kitchen's waste bin.

There's another, more pressing matter he needs to address as soon as Tooru is back.

~~~

"...you'll be working longer hours?" Tooru repeats, looking put out.

Hajime half-sighs exasperatedly. "Don't look so upset. It's only for a couple weeks, to fill in. Until the company hires someone new."

"...quitting without prior notice, who does that," Tooru mutters, more to himself than to Hajime as he stares down into his half-eaten plate of food. "That's so inconsiderate and rude to the rest of you."

Hajime shrugs a little. "Yeah, I guess. There are worse things, though. It's only temporary, and I'll come home as fast as I can, okay? I can cook more on weekends so you have leftovers you can have for dinner while I'm not here."

Tooru looks up from his food to glare at him. "It's not the same," he complains. "We'll barely see each other at all because I leave early and you're back late! It's not fair!"

Hajime manages a small smile. "You're so dramatic."

"And you don't seem to care at all," Tooru shoots back angrily. "Why are you so calm about this?"

Hajime's eyes widen a little.

"Tooru," he says, and reaches over to grab his hand to make sure he has his attention. "Of course I care. I'm not happy with this either, okay? Just... there's no use in complaining. I can't change what the boss has decided."

Tooru pushes his lower lip forward in a well-practiced pout. "...and to think we were so nice to Sawa-kun. We even invited him and Suga-chan to dinner!"

Hajime rolls his eyes, but he can't disguise the relief he feels. Tooru's not actually as mad as it seemed. He's just not done complaining yet.

"Yeah, well. Sawamura's still my boss."

"But he knows about us, Iwa-chan! He knows we only have limited time together, and he's still making you cover for your dumb colleague's later hours. That just seems mean."

Hajime hums in agreement, not trusting himself to speak - because yes, it sounds mean, but what Tooru believes isn't entirely true. Hajime is the one who asked to cover those extra hours, and it's not like Terushima quit without notice, either. But he has to tell Tooru something to explain why he'll be working later - an expensive ring isn't going to pay for itself.

~~~

The next couple of weeks are the most trying ones their relationship has ever faced.

There are days when they don't speak a word to each other besides a hoarse "have fun at practice," whispered by Hajime when Tooru leaves their bed in the morning, before the sun is up, and a muffled "welcome home" from Tooru, who is practically asleep by the time Hajime gets back at night. Weekends aren't really that much better - Tooru has training on Saturdays as well, so they're only left with Sundays and usually spend most of their time sleeping, or curled up together on the couch watching some show on Netflix. Hajime takes care to ask about training, and he tells Tooru a couple of the more amusing stories from work, but it's not the same.

They used to have dinner together, fall asleep together, and Hajime would get up and make Tooru breakfast even if he didn't have to leave at the same ungodly hours. Nowadays Hajime can't bring himself to get up, because even if taking those extra hours was his own idea, that doesn't make them any easier to handle. He's exhausted practically all the time, and he'll take all the extra sleep he can get.

It's hard, and Hajime knows it's definitely harder on Tooru - because unlike Hajime, Tooru doesn't know that there's an end in sight, and that Hajime is so, so close to having saved enough money-

It's tough, and Hajime misses their little conversations, or just sitting together in silence and enjoying each other's company. The quiet moments are all but gone. Crawling into bed next to a half-asleep Tooru isn't the same as falling asleep with him, even if Tooru always curls in around him immediately and doesn't let go until he absolutely has to.

Yeah, it's not easy. But to Hajime, it only further cements the certainty that he wants to spend the rest of his life with Tooru. Because despite the difficulties, and the annoyance that Hajime is sure Tooru feels, all he shows to Hajime is devotion and love. He's never outright angry at Hajime when he comes home, he doesn't complain or pick fights for no reason. Despite his initial reluctance to accept the predicament they're now in, he swallows his pride and takes what he gets. Tooru trusts him, and it just makes Hajime love him more.

~~~

He's been carrying the ring around for almost a week now.

Screw his atrocious planning skills, he's practically given up on the big romantic gesture because he's just not good at that shit- but he can't just bring it up randomly.

And Tooru's been... excessively affectionate lately, ever since Hajime came home early and announced that Terushima's vacant spot had been filled. Tooru's emotions were always on the extreme side, but he's been borderline ecstatic for the last couple of days, even by his standards. He drapes himself over Hajime's back when he's cooking in the kitchen, pressing tiny kisses to his neck, and follows him around their apartment in constant search of physical contract. It's a little overwhelming, but also kind of cute.

And you'd think that would make Hajime's endeavors easier, but no such luck.

Hajime thinks maybe he's just not cut out for marriage.

Ah, but he can't give up either.

It's a clear night out when he just decides _fuck it_ , he's doing this.

He'd be lying if he said he isn't nervous when he asks (ever so casually) if Tooru feels like going out to dinner - but the way the setter's face lights up and the way he practically jumps at the suggestion does work wonders on the seemingly bottomless pit of anxiety pooling in Hajime's stomach.

Tooru lets him drive - their usual arrangement, Tooru prefers fiddling with the radio and watching the scenery flicker by outside (and watching Hajime), even if he tends to fall asleep on longer journeys. And Hajime finds the steering wheel calming. It means more to him than it probably should that Tooru trusts him completely with this, and for some reason there's something reassuring about having Tooru beside him, humming softly to himself.

Their drive to one of their favorite restaurants is a little over twenty minutes, and it's fairly quiet, save for Tooru occasionally singing under his breath. Hajime finds that he loves the sound - but he loves the silence as well, loves how sometimes they don't need words but they're still on the same page. (What he doesn't see are Tooru's frequent glances in his direction, and the soft, gentle smile tugging at his lips when he watches Hajime's profile, noticing the way his eyes are focused on the road, reliable as always, and the tiny crease between his eyebrows he always gets when he's concentrating or lost in thought. What he doesn't know is that Tooru can tell that this dinner date isn't as spontaneous as Hajime would want him to believe.)

Dinner is calm, but it doesn't feel forced. Hajime waits for the opportune moment, but it doesn't present itself. Or maybe it does, but he doesn't notice. He catches Tooru watching him several times, but the setter doesn't comment. He can tell that something is on Hajime's mind, but he's giving him time. Space. Hajime has the sudden urge to reach over the table, knocking over the candle and their shared bottle of water to grab Tooru by his collar, yank him down and pepper kisses all over his stupid, beautiful, considerate face.

He doesn't.

He lets the moment pass, refuses to let Tooru pay (they've long since stopped keeping score, anyway), and suggest a walk outside before they head back.

They walk side by side in silence, arms brushing, letting the night envelop them in its tranquility. It's almost a little too poetic, and Hajime finds himself holding back a chuckle.

Tooru raises his eyebrows at him, but he doesn't comment. Instead he tugs at Hajime's sleeve, indicating the street that leads up a small hill to their left.

"This way, Iwa-chan. I bet the view from up there is nice."

Hajime nods, and he threads their fingers together as they cross the road.

As they walk, he lets his mind drift. He still doesn't know what to say, or how to say it - how to tell Tooru that somehow, at some point, he took over every last part of Hajime's being, and Hajime couldn't be happier about it.

He remembers meeting Tooru when they were practically toddlers. He remembers whacking his bug-catching net over Tooru's head by accident in elementary school (and how Tooru gave him the first of his honest, happy smiles when he showed him his secret favorite spot, the field of fireflies, as an apology). He remembers middle school, Tooru's insecurities and his pride at winning that Best Setter award. High School, Tooru's knee injury, a confession in tears. College, distance, _pain_ \- and the bone-crushing relief of their reunion. Finally getting their own place, falling into a rhythm, settling down.

No matter how far he goes forward or back, Tooru is there. He has been, for as long as Hajime can remember. And he wants him to be there for as much of his future as possible.

Before he realizes it, they've reached the top of the hill. There's a small platform up here, framed by trees, that offers - as Tooru predicted - a spectacular view of the glowing city below. Tooru lets go of his hand and steps up to the edge to get a better view, and Hajime stays behind, watching him.

The colorful lights illuminate his silhouette, and all Hajime feels is warmth, rushing through him in a wave of endless affection for this boy, this man he has the privilege of loving.

Tooru looks away from the mass of lights below and turns to stare at Hajime, who can feel the blush creeping up his cheeks. It’s been more than ten years (going on twenty if he's honest), and he’s still reduced to a blushing, stuttering mess when Tooru looks at him like that - like he's special, important, _precious_. Tooru smiles a little, pulling his scarf tighter around his neck against the wind - and Hajime knows that for him there is only one truth, and it's standing right in front of him. He’ll never want anything else. Suddenly, he doesn’t know why he hesitated with this.

His mind is racing, trying to find adequate words to tell Tooru how he feels, but before he can even attempt it, Tooru opens his own mouth. “Iwa-chan?”

Hajime looks up, surprised. “Yeah?”

“We should get married,” Tooru says.

~~~

Hajime stares at him.

He blinks, taking a second to catch up before he bursts out laughing.

Tooru steps back, startled. “Iwa-chan, what the hell?!”

“I- You- You just-”

But Hajime can’t stop laughing; he doubles over with his hands covering his face and his shoulders shaking. He’s pretty sure there are tears in his eyes, and he gasps for air as he tries to calm down.

“Why the fuck are you laughing?” Tooru asks, and he sounds like he's not sure if he's supposed to be offended or laughing as well.

Hajime just shakes his head - he can’t say it, he realizes, without breaking into another fit of laughter. Instead he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the small box, light blue and lined with velvet, and holds it towards Tooru in his fist. Tooru eyes him suspiciously, but he holds out his hand and lets Hajime drop the box - the ring - into his palm.

“What’s thi…s” he starts to ask, but he trails off when he realizes what Hajime just gave him. His eyes widen and he stares at his boyfriend incredulously. Hajime just starts laughing harder again, tears definitely coming from his eyes at this point because GOD, this is so ridiculous.

Tooru opens the little box, and his eyes go, if possible, even wider. He stares from the ring to Hajime and back again, and his mouth drops open.

Hajime wipes at his face with his sleeves, heaving out a couple of deep breaths to get himself back to normal before he drops to his knees in front of Tooru, the love of his fucking life, and reaches up to take both his hands in his own.

“Mar… marry me, Tooru?” he manages, still gasping for air.

Tooru looks like he can’t decide whether he’s going to laugh or cry either.

But then he finds his voice and he chokes: “of course, you idiot,” before he throws himself into Hajime’s arms, toppling them over backwards where they land in the grass with a dull thud.

Hajime’s heart is beating loudly in his ears, but when he hears Tooru laughing somewhere beside him, he can’t help but join in again.

“I… I was going to ask you today,” he wheezes, “I was just thinking about how to do it, and you just… you just had to ruin it, didn’t you? Like you read my fucking mind.”

Tooru huffs indignantly through his laughter, but he doesn’t object. “I’ve been… I’ve been wanting to bring it up for weeks,” he admits, “but I got scared and chickened out, and then you got so busy-”

"I'm sorry," Hajime says, and he manages to get serious again for a moment, "that was entirely my fault, not Sawamura's. But I had to - I wanted to buy that for you." And he reaches down to cover Tooru's hand, still clutching the box, with his own.

Tooru pulls back so he can look at him, and his eyes are practically glowing.

"I adore you, Iwa-chan," he tells him, and he laughs when Hajime blushes scarlet at his _sincerity_ and covers his face with his arms because that is the sappiest thing he has ever heard in his entire life.

"Oh my God, Trashykawa, what the hell-"

Tooru punches his chest lightly. "You've got no right to be embarrassed! You just fucking _proposed_ to me!"

Hajime groans into his arms, but that just seems to make it worse.

"Already regretting it?" Tooru teases. "Well, too bad!" He pulls the ring from its velvet case and swiftly slips it onto his finger. "This is mine now and I'm never giving it back!"

Hajime chances a glance at him from under his arms, but he realizes a second too late that Tooru is watching him - he was waiting for the opportunity to strike, and as their eyes meet, a malicious grin spreads across his face.

He dives in immediately, grabbing Hajime's wrists and prying his arms away from his face, despite Hajime's struggles. He pins him down, hovering over him with the widest, happiest smile on his face that Hajime has ever seen him wear. For a moment, he forgets how to breathe.

"It's mine," Tooru says, wriggling his hand where it rests on Hajime's wrist. And then, impossibly, his smile grows even wider. "You're mine."

**Author's Note:**

> *slides in at like 2 seconds before 12 in my time zone* I AM NOT LATE!  
> I have never been prouder in my entire life because I never thought I'd get this done on time.  
> ...basically I rewrote an old drabble/idea I had lying around ( ~~*discretely shoves box of over 1000 fiction ideas back under the bed*~~ ), I hope this still counts as a "silly moment" xD  
> Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this. Please, please feel free to contact me ANYWHERE (read: [tumblr](http://frenchibi.tumblr.com)) to scream about Haikyuu ( ~~and let me know what you thought about this, I've been staring at it for so long I can no longer tell if it's too much or just the right amount of fluff~~ )


End file.
